Outdoor Recreational Resources – Franklin County
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CHAPTER 4: OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL RESOURCES – FRANKLIN COUNTY Introduction The outdoor recreational resources located along the Route 112 Scenic Byway are among the region’s greatest assets. A large variety of outdoor recreational activities are available nearby, including camping, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater sports, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, golfing, swimming, cross‐country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. This chapter of the Corridor Management Plan inventories these facilities by type of activity, identifies findings related to the existing and potential increase in the use of recreational facilities, and recommends future actions to ensure that the recreational resources remain an asset to the region’s economy and quality of life. While the Corridor Management Plan focuses on resources within a half‐mile radius of the Byway (Route 112), the recreational resources section of the report also includes attractions that are located outside of the study area boundary and within the towns along the Byway. Recreational resources that are accessible from Rte. 112 and within a short drive have been included. The resources located directly along the Byway are noted as such. There is an outstanding system of state forests, parks and wildlife management areas near the Route 112 Scenic Byway in Franklin County. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) owns and manages three properties that are located either along the Byway or within a few minutes’ drive. In addition, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) manages a wildlife area located on the Byway. Combined, these areas provide almost 4,000 acres of open space accessible to the public and hundreds of miles of multiple‐use trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross‐country skiing, and snowmobiling. Some of the state forests also have facilities for camping, swimming, and picnicking. Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing are also enjoyed on these lands. In addition, there are a number of open space and conservation areas that are owned by towns and nonprofit conservation organizations, and are maintained for public use. Finally, there are several privately‐owned areas that are made available to the public for their outdoor enjoyment. State Forests and Wildlife Management Areas Below is a listing of the state parks, state forests, conservation areas and wildlife management areas located either directly on the Route 112 Scenic Byway or within the towns along the Byway. DCR maintains the state forest and parks system, while the ______________________________________________________________________________________ Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan — Page 4‐1 Outdoor Recreational Resources – Franklin County DFW maintains the wildlife management areas. The parks, state forests, conservation areas and wildlife management areas that are located directly along the Byway are noted with a star ( ). A brief description of the facilities and a summary of the activities available at each of these sites are also included below. These descriptions are based on information from the DCR website (www.mass.gov/dcr), DCR’s Western Connecticut Valley District Draft Forest Resource Management Plan (Draft 1.1 – January 15, 2007), and from DFW’s MassWildlife website (www. mass.gov.dfwele/dfw/habitat). Catamount State Forest, Colrain Catamount State Forest consists of 1,125 acres located in southwestern Colrain bordering on eastern Charlemont, accessible from Four Mile Square Road. The twenty‐seven‐acre McLeod Pond and nearby streams are stocked with trout. The area offers trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, as well as the opportunity for various winter activities such as snowmobiling. The state forest contains seventy‐five acres of road and trail corridors where vegetation management is modified to meet safety and aesthetic concerns and seventy‐four acres of Priority Habitat for rare plant and animal populations protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. There are 184 acres located within 100 feet of a stream, wetland, lake, pond or other aquatic feature in the forest. Call 413‐339‐5504 for further information. Catamount Wildlife Management Area, Colrain The Catamount Wildlife Management Area consists of 256 acres available for hunting. It is located adjacent to the Catamount State Forest in two sections east and south of the state forest. Access is available from Stacy Road and Catamount Hill Road and off‐street parking is provided. This is an area of very steep slopes covered with mixed hardwood forest, a few wetland areas, and plateaus. This area is not stocked with pheasant. H.O. Cook State Forest, Colrain The H.O. Cook State Forest contains 1,620 acres for hunting, fishing, hiking and horseback riding trails and winter activities including snowmobiling. It is located one‐ mile east of Route 8A on State Farm Road in northwestern Colrain and northeastern Heath bordering on the Vermont state line. The more than five miles of streams include native brook trout. There are 146 acres located within 100 feet of a water feature in the forest and twenty‐seven acres of Priority Habitat for rare plant and animal species. The state forest also contains eighty acres of road and trail corridors. Call 413‐339‐5504 for further information. Shelburne State Forest, Shelburne The Shelburne State Forest consists of seventy‐two acres located south of the High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the location of the Mount Massamett Fire Tower, which is accessible only by foot. The state forest contains seven acres of road and trail corridor and two acres of Priority Habitat for rare plants and animals. Call 413‐339‐5504 for more information. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan — Page 4‐2 Outdoor Recreational Resources – Franklin County Buckland State Forest, Buckland The Buckland State Forest consists of 93 acres in southeast Buckland managed primarily as a forest resource, with few facilities for recreation. There are no roads and trails maintained in the forest and only three acres located near water features. Call 413‐339‐ 5504 for more information. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) State Forest, Ashfield/Goshen The DAR State Forest is a 1,020‐acre forest that can be accessed from Route 112 in Goshen. It includes Upper Highland Lake, a picnic area, camping area, swimming area, bath houses, and a boat ramp. Summer activities include: non‐motorized boating, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and mountain biking. In the winter season, the following activities are popular: ice fishing, skating, cross‐country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. There are fifteen miles of mixed‐use trails winding through a northern hardwood‐conifer forest. In all, there are 190 acres of road and trail corridor in the forest and 240 acres within 100 feet of a water feature. The Goshen fire tower provides spectacular views of the Connecticut River Valley and into five states. The campground offers fifty‐one wooded campsites featuring modern comfort stations with showers and a private beach. Wheelchair accessible campsites and a full range of accessible activities are also available. Other Significant Recreation Areas Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum and Trolley Car Number 10, Shelburne Falls The Museum, located in the old freight yard on the Buckland side of Shelburne Falls, features the last surviving trolley car from the Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway. This trolley line started in 1896 and hauled freight up and back from the rail yard in Shelburne Falls to the mills of Colrain, crossing the Deerfield River on what is now the Bridge of Flowers. It also carried mill workers, mail, farm produce, shoppers, high school children. The open cars offered a pleasant way to spend a summer evening or weekend on the way to Hillside Park. The trolley stopped operating in 1927 when the State improved the roads and trucks hauled the freight. Trolley Car Number 10 sat idle in a farmerʹs field for many decades and even served as a chicken coop during its retirement. It was fully restored in 1999 by the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum and is available for rides. The trolley was built by Wason Manufacturing Co. in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was delivered to Shelburne Falls and has not left the valley since. For thirty years it served Shelburne Falls and Colrain. In 1908 the trolley company built a bridge across the Deerfield River (now the Bridge of Flowers) which allowed direct access to the railroad. The Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum also has an operating hand pump car, and a collection of railroad and trolley artifacts and pictures. The museum is at 14 Depot St. (on the Buckland side of Shelburne Falls) and operates on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from Memorial Day through October. Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In July and August, the museum is also open Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call 413‐625‐9443 for further information or visit the website at www.sftm.org. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan — Page 4‐3 Outdoor Recreational Resources – Franklin County Glacial Potholes, Shelburne Falls The Potholes are located off Deerfield Avenue, just below the hydroelectric dam in Shelburne Falls. The site includes over fifty ancient glacial potholes; some are as small as six inches in diameter and some are as large as